Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease increases cardiovascular disease and mortality risk in patients with diabetes

1. The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increased in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). compared with patients without NAFLD.

Evidence evaluation level: 2 (good)

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide. Patients with NAFLD are at increased risk of developing liver cirrhosis as well as cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of death in his NAFLD patients. In this longitudinal cohort study, researchers aimed to assess the risk of NAFLD and all-cause mortality in CVD with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Data were collected from 7,796,763 participants through the Korean National Health Checkup Program, which began in 2009. Median follow-up was 8.13 years. Participants were classified as having no NAFLD, grade 1 NAFLD, or grade 2 NAFLD. 6.49% of participants had T2DM. The incidence of CVD and all-cause mortality increased with NAFLD grade, and the incidence was higher in patients with T2DM than in patients without T2DM. Furthermore, the 5-year absolute risk of CVD and all-cause mortality increased with the grade of his NAFLD in T2DM and non-T2DM patients, but was greater in T2DM patients. A limitation of this study is that NAFLD was defined by fatty liver index rather than biopsy or ultrasound. Additionally, this study was only conducted in a Korean population. Therefore, further studies are needed to confirm these results among other populations. Overall, this study shows an association between his NAFLD and CVD risk and all-cause mortality in his T2DM patients.

Click to read the BMJ study

Image: P.D.

©2024 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No copyrighted material may be reproduced without the written consent of 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. For licensing inquiries, please contact us here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the author or his 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.